Personal Finance

Christmas is over, but now you have to deal with the aftermath. Having packed the relatives off home with a guilty sigh of relief, taken down the tree and purged the fridge of the last remaining scraps of turkey, you can afford to be a little more organised.

You could start by deciding just what you are going to do with the 'tasteful' festive knitwear great-aunt Maud thoughtfully picked out for you, with the attractive elf motif. Should you make an old lady happy and keep it to wear when she visits, or sneak off to the shops in the true spirit of 21st century Christmas, and exchange it for something you really want?

It might not be as simple as it seems. As Stephen Ellis finds out, shops are not obliged to exchange an object just because you'd rather be eaten alive by rabid hamsters than wear it.

Now that you are the proud owner of a lovely Gucci handbag, that you just know your elderly relatives meant to buy you, turn your attention to your new year's resolutions. As well as the usual (lose two stone, give up smoking, backpack up Everest for charity) that will be broken and/or discarded by the third week in January, now is the time to make a few more lasting promises.

What better place to start than by reorganising your financial affairs? As share prices begin to bounce back after a year that most Isa holders would rather forget, Nina Montagu-Smith asks the experts where you should be putting your money, and finds that timing is of the essence.

And with a greater deal of organisation the goal, if you haven't filed your tax return already, shame on you. The January 31 deadline is looming, and with this in mind, Melanie Wright has kindly summarised exactly what you need to do to avoid a £100 fine and penalty interest.

Surf and save to survive the credit squeezeSo you spent upon your cards and had a whale of a time over Christmas. Now's the time to get a grip and sort out your finances, avoiding the usual indigestion. Check out cheaper interest rates and save some pain, says Rob Murray.